Who needs writers? Just get some clever coding fired up

This is officially the first time I've ever written a post anywhere that links to Sports Illustrated. That's not a high-minded snub of people who write for or read SI - just that I'm not one of them. A colleague, however, is a big fan of baseball and dropped this on my desk recently - an article by Steve Rushin on how www.statsheet.com is using clever coding to assemble stories from the rivers of data that pour from sporting events. Those stories then populate websites that fans read to learn about the latest intel on their favourite team or player.


They could go one step further, allowing fans to make changes or suggestions as in an interactive genetic algorithm. Essentially the code spits out two or three versions, you say which one you like, it does another two or three, etc. Once it's about right, the code remembers it for next time, adapting itself to the person providing input. It's a perfect hybrid. Lots of data, lots of stats, a bit of personal flavour, and SI begins to look like Terminator Typewriter.


It's hard not to imagine that this could be applied in any number of settings and because it can, it most likely will. Rushin notes that anywhere that stats are part of writing, this approach could, in principle be used. Time will tell. I can assure you a human wrote this. 

Parrot AR.Drone + SensorFly = Real-Time Artificial Flocking

This is among the most cool flying things I've seen in a while. I grew up designing, building and flying various types of airplanes form the kind with wires to freeflight to full-feature radio controlled craft.

The iPhone-controlled Parrot AR.Drone is wonderfully imaginative and, combined the autonomously controlled SensorFly from Carnegie Mellon, opens up new worlds for small flying applications. Complexity theory will play into how groups or flocks of SensorFly devices interact and move.

Interactive genetic algorithms allow users to provide input on software-generated outcomes and such an approach would work well with a Parrot device + multiple SensorFly devices. The flock finds its way with nudging from an operator who might want to search a certain area.

Inspiring.